Australia

The Commonwealth of Australia is an island nation located in the continent of Oceania in the southern Pacific Ocean. The sixth-largest country by land area (including the Torres Strait Islands, Tasmania, and other outlying islands), Australia's interior is mostly desert, and the country has a population of 24,141,800 people, most of whom live along the coast in cities. Australia was settled by the United Kingdom during the course of the late 18th century, starting with James Cook's discovery of the island in 1770, and from 26 January 1788 the island was used as a penal colony. This led to rapid settlement, and five crown colonies were established on the island, which became a commonwealth on 1 January 1901. Since then, it has been a liberal democratic country, having the twelfth-largest economy in the world and the fifth-highest per capita income. The country is still a part of the Commonwealth of Nations, and Queen Elizabeth II of Britain is still regarded as the de jure ruler of the country, represented in Australia by her Governor-General; the Prime Minister is the de facto head of state.